(BALTIMORE, MD) — (April 4, 2014) — The second story arc of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's "Zero Year" reaches its climax in DC Entertainment's Batman #29, March 2014's best-selling comic book to specialty retailers, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was March's top publisher, with a 34.31% Dollar Share and 38.17% Unit Share, compared to 25.94% and 29.02% respectively for runner-up DC Entertainment. Image Comics had a strong March with a 11.38% dollar share and 11.04% unit share, and both Dark Horse Comics and IDW Publishing topped 5% in dollar share with 6.19% and 5.29% shares respectively.

Marvel Comics had five of the month's top ten best-selling comics, led by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli's Superior Spider-Man #29 at #5, while DC Entertainment had four titles and Image Comics one with The Walking Dead #124 at #9.

The long-awaited war between the factions of survivors in the wake of the zombie apocalypse erupted in March's best-selling graphic novel, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 20: All Out War, Part 1 from Image Comics, one of their four titles in the top ten this month. Also of note in the top ten was Dark Horse Comics with Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 7: Rift Part 1 at #4 and BOOM! Studios' original Adventure Time graphic novel, Seeing Red, at #8.

Running Press' Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver Book Kit, a book and toy kit based on the BBC America series, was March's best-selling book in the comic book specialty market.

McFarlane Toys continued its line of figures based on AMC's The Walking Dead in March with The Walking Dead TV Series 5 Action Figures, the month's best-selling Toy product. DC Collectibles also had a strong March, with eight of the month's top ten best-selling products.

USAopoly's Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition returned to the top of the sales charts as March's best-selling Games product.

TOP PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE

PUBLISHER

SHARE

MARVEL COMICS

34.31%

DC COMICS

25.94%

IMAGE COMICS

11.38%

DARK HORSE COMICS

6.19%

IDW PUBLISHING

5.29%

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

2.61%

BOOM! STUDIOS

1.99%

EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD

1.59%

AVATAR PRESS INC

1.14%

RANDOM HOUSE

1.04%

OTHER NON-TOP 10

8.53%

UNIT MARKET SHARE

PUBLISHER

SHARE

MARVEL COMICS

38.17%

DC COMICS

29.02%

IMAGE COMICS

11.04%

DARK HORSE COMICS

5.72%

IDW PUBLISHING

4.51%

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

2.56%

BOOM! STUDIOS

1.84%

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC

0.95%

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS

0.95%

AVATAR PRESS INC

0.94%

OTHER NON-TOP 10

4.29%

TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER

COMICS SHIPPED

GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED

MAGAZINES SHIPPED

TOTAL SHIPPED

DC COMICS

84

28

1

113

MARVEL COMICS

75

34

0

109

IMAGE COMICS

54

13

0

67

IDW PUBLISHING

42

22

0

64

DARK HORSE COMICS

42

15

0

57

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

34

5

0

39

BOOM! STUDIOS

28

7

0

35

AVATAR PRESS

11

4

0

15

RANDOM HOUSE

0

15

0

15

EAGLEMOSS

0

0

12

12

OTHER

63

104

16

183

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS

UNITS

MARCH 2014 VS. FEBRUARY 2014

COMICS

4.11%

6.32%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

24.00%

25.00%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

10.22%

7.93%

MARCH 2014 VS. MARCH 2013

COMICS

-9.47%

-11.83%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

18.31%

22.85%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-1.48%

-9.28%

FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2013

COMICS

-14.30%

-13.77%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-11.59%

-1.59%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-13.45%

-12.82%

FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2013

COMICS

-6.89%

-11.40%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

1.39%

10.06%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-4.40%

-9.85%

YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013

COMICS

-6.89%

-11.40%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

1.39%

10.06%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-4.40%

-9.85%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

BATMAN #29

$4.99

JAN140290-M

DC

2

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #6

$3.99

OCT130160-M

DC

3

FOREVER EVIL #6

$3.99

DEC130197-M

DC

4

SANDMAN OVERTURE #2 (MR)

$3.99

DEC130330-M

DC

5

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #29

$3.99

JAN140720-M

MAR

6

DAREDEVIL #1

$3.99

JAN140630-M

MAR

7

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #30

$3.99

JAN140722

MAR

8

SILVER SURFER #1

$3.99

JAN140650-M

MAR

9

THE WALKING DEAD #124 (MR)

$2.99

JAN140624

IMA

10

UNCANNY X-MEN #19.NOW

$3.99

JAN140665-M

MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 20: ALL OUT WAR PART 1 TP (MR)

$14.99

JAN140559

IMA

2

SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR)

$14.99

JAN140556

IMA

3

NEMO: ROSES OF BERLIN HC (MR)

$14.95

JAN141334

TOP

4

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 7: RIFT PART 1 TP

$10.99

NOV130064

DAR

5

CHEW VOLUME 8: FAMILY RECIPES TP (MR)

$12.99

JAN140548

IMA

6

JUSTICE LEAGUE: TRINITY WAR HC (N52)

$29.99

NOV130226

DC

7

HARLEY QUINN: WELCOME TO METROPOLIS TP

$19.99

DEC130313

DC

8

ADVENTURE TIME VOL. 3: SEEING RED OGN

$11.99

JAN141027

BOO

9

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 1 TP

$24.99

NOV082434

MAR

10

STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES EDITION TP (MR)

$59.99

JAN140530

IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

DOCTOR WHO: 11TH DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER KIT

$12.95

JAN141487

RUN

2

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S THE EMPIRE STRIKETH BACK HC

$14.95

JAN141522

RAN

3

PAUL POPE'S MONSTERS & TITANS: BATTLING BOY ART ON TOUR SC

$24.99

JAN140554

IMA

4

LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC

$34.99

SEP120055

DAR

5

THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 82: SPY RING SC

$14.95

JAN141518

SAN

6

HATSUNE MIKU GRAPHICS VOCALOID VOLUME 1 SC

$34.99

AUG131474

UDO

7

DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 73: LAND OF LONG JUJU SC

$14.95

JAN141517

SAN

8

BATMAN SCIENCE: THE REAL WORLD SCIENCE BEHIND BATMAN'S GEAR SC

$9.95

NOV131374

CAP

9

DRAGON'S DOGMA OFFICIAL DESIGN WORKS SC

$44.99

AUG131471

UDO

10

ADVENTURE TIME: TOTALLY MATH POSTER COLLECTION SC

$19.95

JAN141468

ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 5 ACTION FIGURES

JUL138243

TMP

2

BATMAN HUSH: BATMAN & CATWOMAN KISS STATUE

SEP130322

DC

3

ARROW: OLIVER QUEEN/DEATHSTROKE ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK

NOV130293

DC

4

DC COMICS COVER GIRLS HUNTRESS STATUE

OCT130308

DC

5

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY: TWO-FACE ACTION FIGURE

NOV130290

DC

6

BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY GARY FRANK

OCT130310

DC

7

WONDER WOMAN ART OF WAR STATUE BY JIM LEE

SEP130317

DC

8

SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ROCAFORT

OCT130309

DC

9

DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: OWLMAN ACTION FIGURE

OCT130307

DC

10

DC COMICS SUPERGIRL "NEW 52" ARTFX+ STATUE

SEP132026

KOT

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION

OCT128266

USA

2

MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

DEC132341

NEC

3

DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF SUPERHEROES BOOSTER BRICK

OCT132418

NEC

4

RISK LEGACY

JUN118204

HAS

5

MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER STARTER SET

DEC132343

NEC

6

DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF DOOM FAST FORCES 6-PACK

OCT132416

NEC

7

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS BOOSTER PACK

DEC132337

WZK

8

RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION

OCT128267

USA

9

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS FAT PACK

DEC132339

WZK

10

MAGIC THE GATHERING CCG: DUEL DECKS JACE VS. VRASKA

JAN148058

WZK

Dollar Market Share – March 2014

Unit Market Share– March 2014

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 comic book specialty shops located inNorth Americaand around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.

Please note that comics marked with an asterisk have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The count of new titles shipped includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

***

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.